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From ancient Aztec influences and Catholic iconography to the national flag, the vibrant Mexican culture serves as a great muse for these special editions that were unveiled this week at the 2018 Salón Internacional Alta Relojería (SIAR), the most important watch fair in Latin America, in Mexico City.

Chopard L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of ‘La Santa Muerte’

Photo: Chopard

While it sounds morbid, the Day of the Dead is actually a joyful celebration of the cycle of life and is aimed at fostering closer ties with friends and family by remembering the dearly departed. Its fantastical depiction in the Oscar-winning animated feature Coco shows just how vibrant and colourful this holiday is.

The celebration also centres around Santa Muerte (saint of death), and its skull imagery forms the macabre dial of this Chopard L.U.C unique piece. The calendar sub-dials, apertures and hands are part of the skull design, which is hand-engraved on an 18k gold dial with mother-of-pearl “teeth”. The skull is further enlivened with sun and floral patterns.

Even more intricate hand-engraving can be found on the generous proportions of the 43mm 18k rose gold case. The caseband features motifs of the Day of the Dead while the bezel is adorned with a motif inspired by Mexican iconography.

Working with contemporary artist Richard Orlinksi and the Mexican flag as inspiration, Hublot has given the Classic Fusion a fresh uplift with a case with 12 facets in green ceramic. Green, a symbol of hope and independence, is one of the dominant colours of the flag, the other being red, which can be found on the seconds hand.

On the open caseback, the eagle and snake of the flag can be seen hovering over the HUB1155 skeleton self-winding chronograph movement. Orlinski also interpreted this image as a life-sized sculpture that was unveiled at SIAR. The generous 45mm case is paired with a black smooth rubber strap and is limited to 30 pieces.

Zenith Defy Zero G Themed Editions

Zenith has created three one-of-a-kind Defy Zero G timepieces for SIAR featuring full engraving on the cases and their integrated bracelets. Available in titanium, yellow and rose gold, they boast local-specific themes.

One watch is intricately engraved with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that is enshrined within the Minor Basilica. Another has a skull motif that recalls the Day of the Dead. The third expands on the skull narrative with a pirate scene complete with buried treasures, exotic islands and swashbuckling sailors.